Towline



March 28 1928. 1,578,1o7

M. L. TlPPlT TOWLINE Filed May 10, 1924 Patented Mar. 23, 1925. i

UNITED sTATEs MA'r'rHnw L. Tirrrr, or' oLNEY, ILLINoIs.

TOWLI'NE. w

AppIicaton filed May 10,

T oiaZZ fwhom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, MATTI-inw L.ITIPPIT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Olney, in the county of Richland and State of illinois, haveinvented new and useful lmprovements in Towlines, of which the followingis a specification. i

This invention relates to tow lines.

The object is to provide Va line to be used particularly intowingautomobiles or other vehicles, which is foldable into compact formWhen not in use, and capable of being easily an'dquickly unfolded andapplied at Vone end to the towing car and at the other end tothe stalledor crippled car. I

Another object is to provide at each end of the tow line, fasteningmeans which is permanently secured to said cable 'so as to avoid losingany of the parts and adapted to be passed around the aXles or portionsof the fram'esof the cars and so connected as to avoidl accidentaldetachment when the cable is slack.

A final object is to provide means on the cable for preventing' the samefrom marring the paint on the car when strain is brought to bearthereon.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained froma consideration of the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanylng 'drawing forming a part of thisspecification, it being' understood that while the drawing shows apractical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined tostrict conformity with the showing' thereof, but maybe changed ormodifie'd,so long' as such changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention, as specificallypointed out in thc-appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figuresz- Figure l is a viewshowing' portions of two automobiles connected by the improved tow line,one car being' in the act of towing the other.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of one end of the towline, with the connecting' or attaching means in locked' or closedposition.

Figure 3 is a the same.

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line H of Figura 2,

longitudinal section through 1924. serii No. 712,315.

car. Each end of the cable is provided with the same form of fasteningmeans, and a description of one will; sufiice for both, it beingunderstood that either end of the tow line may be secured to either ofthe cars.

Each 'end ofthe cable is suitably forined into a closed loop 2, having`the ends of the strands spliced into the cable proper in a well knownmanner, or bound thereto by wrapping Wire, as shown in the drawing,

the said'lo'ops 2 being eng'aged in the eyes 3 of hooks ll, which arepreferably formed of wrought iron, Orsome othe'r'equally strong metal,so as to withstand the strain i'mparted thereto during the operation ofpulling a car' out of the mud and in towing the. same.

The hook's are provided with somewhat restricted entrance opening's 5,though of a size to freely pass overthe cable 1 and admit the same tothehooks.

A relatively short piece of rubber tubing' 6 surrounds the cableadjacent to each end thereof where joined to the hooks, said tubingbeing placed thereon prior to the connection to said hooks. The internaldiameter of the tubing is preferably larger than the diameter of thecable, and is freely slidable thereon, so that one end may be moved intocontact with the aforesaid loop 2 when the device is in use, and theslidability due to the difference in diameters permits the' tubing to berotated on the cable in order that a new surface may be presented to thepoint of Wear, in a manner to be explained. The tubing' may consist of alength of ordinary hose having I -longitndinally of the Cable, from thedotted i e position to the full line position shown in Fignre :2, thehook is forced over the end of the tnbing and loCked thereto againstaccidental displaCen-ient, the external diameter of said tnbing 'beingsnch as to frictionally eno'age the interior of the hook fotx thispnrpose.

l? hen the other end of the Cable is similarly formed and connected tothe front axle 9 of a Car reqniring to be towed, and the hook pressedbach' to engage with the tnbing', the two ends are attached secnrely inplace, and the operation of towing` may be proceeded With Without dangerof the Connection becoming loosened When the Cable slacks, and Withoutdan'iaging the axles by reason of the rnbber tnbing. In rcmoving' thetowing line from the cars, it only necessary to swing' the hool-:s awayfrom the ends of the tubing', and to pass the same over the adjacentCable, in an obvions manner.

From the foregoing it Will be seen that a simple, Cheaply manufactnredand strong' and durable tow line has been provided, which is especiallyadapted for use in conneetion With antomobiles, and which may be easlyand quickly applied tovor detached from the same, that the danger ofbecoming' accidentally` loosened has been eliminated, and that thedevice may be readily Coiled abntting relation to the .terminal loops,thoreof, said tubing being' -rotatable on the Cable and insertableendwise into the hook to frictionally engage the same;

A tow line comprising` a length' of Cable having an end formed into apermanent loop, a hook loosely connected to the loop, the hook having aninternal diameter greater than the diamveter of the Cable and providedWith a restricted entrance opening capable of being' freely passed overthe Cable, and a length of resilient tnbing` on the end of the Cable inabnttina' relation to the permanent loop, said tubing' beinrJ rotatableon the Cable and insertable endwise into the hook to frietionally engagethe same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing' as my own, I have heretoaflixed mysignature.

MATTHEW L. TIPPIT but permanently

